


Adventure of a Lifetime

by Sabulana



Series: Dragon Age Losers [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 12:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4221012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sabulana/pseuds/Sabulana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of stories of varying lengths featuring Warden Valyris Surana. Varying themes. See individual chapters for notes. Warnings and tags will be added as I go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red Tower

**Author's Note:**

> First up, a quickie regarding Valyris' departure from Kinloch Hold and her feelings about Jowan.

Valyris didn't hesitate once in leaving Kinloch Hold until the last moment before the tower was out of sight. She paused at the turn in the road, looking back at the silhouette of the tower against the sky.

"Having second thoughts?" Duncan asked gently.

The elf shook her head. "No, but it’s a big change. The tower has been my home for years," Valyris replied. "The mages there have been family and friends to me since my parents gave me to the Templars. Jowan was... he was one of my best friends. I wonder where he is now."

"We can spare no time to hunt him down," Duncan said. "And that is a task best suited to the Templars."

"Except we broke his phylactery," Valyris said. "They have no way of tracking him." She frowned. "I don't believe he is a bad person, you know. Even though he lied to me and began using blood magic, I don't think he's a bad person, no matter what they say."

"But it could send him down the wrong path, regardless of his intentions," Duncan said.

"I know," Valyris replied. "That is part of why I am so worried about him. He may be corrupted, possessed by a demon and turn into an abomination, and that's if he isn't caught. If he is, then they will either kill him when they find him, they'll make him tranquil." And that would be even worse, she thought. Owain gave her the creeps. To think of Jowan that way was something she could hardly bear to think about.

"It is out of our hands," Duncan said. "Jowan's fate is his own now."

Valyris sighed. "I understand." She turned away from the tower. "Let's go." Ostagar awaited.


	2. Friendship to Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-Denerim, Valyris and Alistair have a conversation about their friends.
> 
> Otherwise summarised as 'Valyris realises she is a freak magnet.'
> 
> Chapter title from Two Steps from Hell. I'm trying to keep a theme going.

Valyris had had her doubts at first. She and Alistair were just two Grey Wardens, going up against an entire Blight, while also having to fend off soldiers, assassins and bandits. It seemed impossible that there were even going to survive. They shouldn’t have survived Ostagar but for Flemeth and Morrigan. 

They travelled first to Lothering, and gained more allies. And then they were on to the rest of Ferelden. Soldiers joined them from Redcliffe. Dalish Elves came to them from the Brecilian Forest. Dwarves came from Orzammar. Mages were sent from the Circle. Little by little, she watched their impossible dream of an army come true. She found friends in an Antivan assassin sent to kill her, a golem who hated pigeons, a drunken dwarf and more besides. 

Never in her life had she ever imagined that this would be her life. Cavell, her ever faithful mabari, curled around her as she gazed around the camp.

“Something on your mind?” asked Alistair, sitting beside her. He had two bowls of stew in his hands. Cavell perked up, sniffing at the bowls. “Hey, not for you!” the warden scolded. Cavell whined and gave his best puppy eyes. “Oh no, I’m not falling for that. I’m here to keep your master fed, not you. Go on, pester someone else. I think Oghren has something in his pocket for you.”

Cavell barked and scampered off.

Valyris took the offered bowl. “Does Oghren really have something for Cavell?” she asked.

Across the camp, they could hear the dwarf shouting at Cavell to leave his pants alone.

“Nope.” Alistair grinned. “Anyway, you’re avoiding my question. What are you thinking about all the way over here, away from the nice warm fire.”

“I was nice and warm until someone sent my dog away,” Valryis said, sniffing the stew.

“I didn’t make it, don’t worry,” Alistair said, watching her. “And you’re still avoiding answering me.”

“Because it’s stupid,” the elf replied, shrugging. She tried a bit of the stew. Not knowing who had cooked it, she wasn’t sure what to expect. It was edible though, so that eliminated about half of the camp.

“What’s stupid?” asked Alistair, settling in to eat his own stew. “My question or your answer?”

“My answer.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I thought you were going to give me a stupid answer,” Alistair said. “Come on, penny for your thoughts.”

“Hah. Pay up then.” Valyris held her hand out with a cheeky grin.

Alistair spluttered for a moment, even as he fished a single copper out of his pocket. “It’s just meant to be an expression, you know.”

“And yet here you are, fussing over giving me a single coin. I didn’t realise you were so tight with your money,” Valyris laughed. She kept the coin though, rubbing it as she looked out over the camp. “Do you remember the first thing you ever said to me?” she asked after a moment.

“Can’t say I do. It _was_ a while ago, and I’ve had several hits to the head since then. Why? Was it particularly memorable?” asked Alistair.

Valyris shrugged, then tried her best to imitate Alistair’s accent. “’One good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together!’ And look, it’s true.” She gestured out over the camp. “Would anyone be here if it wasn’t for the Blight?”

“I guess not.” Alistair shoved another spoonful of stew into his mouth. “You know, it isn’t really the Blight bringing them here. It’s you.”

Valyris paused, her own spoon halfway to her mouth. “Me?”

“You’re the one leading us,” he said. “You said Leliana and Sten could join us in Lothering. You spared Zevran’s life when a more sensible person would have killed the assassin meant to kill us. You agreed when Flemeth said we should bring Morrigan, and you agreed when Wynne said she was coming too. You let Oghren come with us when we went after Branka and kept him even after that whole mess. They may have decided to fight the Blight with us, but that is because of you.”

Valyris didn’t say anything for a long moment.

“Hey, are you… okay?”

“If we’ve managed to amass such strange friends, what does that say about us?” she asked.

Alistair paused, looking around at the camp. Cavell had managed to steal something of Oghren’s and was now running around Sten while the dwarf gave chase. Sten was looking less than impressed, muttering something - probably insults in Qunlat.

“You know, I really don’t want to think about it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Overall title and chapter title from Two Steps from Hell tracks.


End file.
